Mudvayne – The End of All Things to Come 15 Years Later

December 5, 2017 Mudvayne – The End of All Things to Come 15 Years Later

On November 19, 2002, the Heavy Metal world was graced Mudvayne’s sophomore album, The End of All Things to Come. Out of Decatur, Illinois, consisting of Vocalist Chad Gray, Guitarist Greg Tribbett, Drummer Matthew McDonough, and Bassist Ryan Martinie, this killer quartet had a lot to prove with the new album. Having made an impression with their 2000 debut album, L.D.50, which peaked at number 85 on the Billboard 200 upon its release, they wanted to showcase more of their technical prowess and intensity, making The End of All Things to Come an important part of their history 15 years later.

Encompassing new elements from other musical genres like Jazz and Thrash Metal, the album quickly garnered fan favor. In fact, it showed impressive sales after its release, going on to becoming certified gold by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) in 2003. It did not come without a ton of pressure though, and Mudvayne worked under an incredible deadline, completing the writing in roughly a month.

Worked with Producer Dave Bottrill, who had previously done albums with artists like Peter Gabriel, Silverchair, and Tool, The End of All Things to Come was the album that gave the world the single “Not Falling.” Released a month prior to the album, the lead single would go on to be one of the band’s most popular songs. Commercially, the band saw great success from the song and it was used in the 2002 Horror movie Ghost Ship. Memorable to this day, its heavy riffs and message of self-esteem and perseverance are likely why this song continues to stand the test of time and remains a fan favorite.

More than just one single, “(Per)version of a Truth” follows “Not Falling” on the album, showing a similar trend of intense screams and melodic undertones to its grit. “(Per)version of a Truth” is both brutal in places and beautiful in its composition. That in mind, there is a lot of experimentation that seems to have taken place on The End of All Things to Come, between the short timeline in which they worked on it and the injection of these versatile elements, Mudvayne was playing with a different kind of fire on their second round in the scene.

Then there is “World So Cold,” another fan favorite that saw some commercial success for the band. Released as a single back on May 20th of 2003, it peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and features some of the most elegant melodies on the album. It breaks from the pack in its incorporation of softer elements and poignant riffs to accompany the emotional lyrics that seem to address the isolation of living in a careless world. This darkness paired with the band’s complex orchestration and composition that builds the emotional layers of the song make it a memorable stand out for the band.

Later on, “Shadow of a Man” jolts back and forth between an almost Hip Hop infused beat to scorching ,shredded vocals and associated riffs. The jagged lines drawn throughout the song make it a bit hard to follow, but the heaviness in the breaks is jolting and then bouncy. This is just another example of the kind of fusion and experimental writing that took place in the short time the band had to write the album. The Mudvayne evolution is shown through the progress of their sound not just between albums but between songs on albums, and The End of All Things to Come is a great example of what their progression sounds like.

The title track for the album shares chugging and thrashy techniques that became a trademark for bands of this era like Slipknot and Korn. Mudvayne fell in step with their contemporaries on this song as Gray shreds his larynx to create screams that pierce the ear and McDonough doubles down on the percussive pounding. Lastly, “A Key to Nothing” features piercing guitar whines and the song slowly winds its way up to the conclusion of the album.

Isolating themselves to write The End of All Things to Come, Mudvayne used that isolation to craft a more group-oriented album. Whereas their debut had been about putting together individual elements, the band intentionally sought to work together to create their sophomore release. The result was a more eccentric, stranger, yet cohesive group experiment they had all contributed to and not just a conglomeration of individual intentions.

Although Mudvayne has been inactive since 2010 as a band, fans still get to enjoy not only the individual projects of its members, most notably Chad Gray in HELLYEAH along with Greg Tribbett and Matthew McDonough in Audiotopsy, but the music they created together as a band. The nostalgia of turning on your favorite song can have incredible power, and for those longing for some classic early Mudvayne, this is it. So, if you are looking for a way to relive the early 2000s Metal evolution, grab your copy of The End of All Things to Come and remember when it was just the beginning 15 years earlier.

Patricia Jones

anarchyangel28@gmail.com

Patricia is in a relationship with music. Her tastes run the gamut of Madonna to Mastodon, but her soul belongs to Rock n Roll. While pursuing her Bachelor’s in Communications and Journalism at USC Upstate, she worked behind the scenes in venues and has since scribed for Examiner.com, The Front Row Report, as well as AXS.com. Music is her drug of choice and considers herself “just another nightlife junkie high on Metal.”

No Comments

Post A Comment

Get ready to walk into the fire and get brilliantly burned with Asking Alexandria’s self-titled, fifth studio release, which arrives Friday, December 15 thanks to Sumerian Records. Reunited with Vocalist Danny Worsnop, these Brits are poised to reclaim their throne...

Never has a student had it so hot for teacher in all the worst, non-sexual ways possible! Step into one truly disturbing classroom environment with Dismissed, the latest release from The Orchard, which arrives to EST/VOD on Tuesday, November 21, 2017. ...

John Corabi, former Mötley Crüe vocalist and current frontman of The Dead Daisies, is giving fans an exciting Valentine's Day gift with his first solo, live recording, Live 94 (One Night In Nashville), which arrives this Friday, February 16th, thanks to...

Set for release Friday, January 26th through Vertical Entertainment, The Neighbor is certainly a film that will stand out among the rest of the Drama/Thrillers set to hit theaters and Video on Demand in early 2018. Winner of several awards...

Perhaps Progressive Metal's best kept secret, San Paulo, Brazil's own Angra, are set to return with their ninth studio album, Omni. Arriving on Friday February 16, 2018 via EarMusic, with eleven new tracks, Omni acts as the follow-up to Angra's 2015 release Secret Garden....

For many couples, the desire to have a family of their own is strong, and they are able to embark on the journey of building such. However, it is not always easy for all couples to fulfill this dream naturally....

Those who dig instantly gratifying, guitar-laden Rock (and, honestly, who doesn’t?), look no further than Black Label Society’s latest effort, Grimmest Hits. To avoid any confusion, this is not a best of collection as the album title may imply. No, instead...

The old adage "they don't make things like they used to" only applies to about seventy-five percent of modern Heavy Metal. Although, it is far from true in the case of Machine Head. Fronted by none other than Guitarist/Vocalist Robb...

Don’t call it a comeback, they’ve been here for years! Seventeen years strong, Story Of The Year return on Friday, December 8, 2017, with Wolves, their self-released, well, can we actually call it a comeback, please? Formed in St. Louis,...

When it comes to music, there is simply nothing better than a live performance. Vastly different than listening to a studio recording, a live concert experience allows one to connect with the artist and the music on a more intimate...